Cabin air filter removal and installation tool and method of using the same

Abstract

An assembly for preventing debris or dust from entering a motor used to pass cabin air in a vehicle has a housing having a first conduit opening to a surface of the housing and a second conduit opening to another surface of the housing, an air filter received within the interior of the housing and positioned between the first and second conduits, and a body removably received in the interior of the housing. The body is interposed between the air filter and the surface of the housing and overlies an opening of the first conduit so as to block debris or dust from entering the motor. The air filter is adapted to filter air from the second conduit as the air is drawn through the air filter by the motor. A handle is integrated with or affixed to the body so as to extend outwardly of the housing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An assembly for preventing debris or dust from entering a motor used to pass cabin air in a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
 a housing having an interior, said housing having a first conduit opening to a horizontal surface of said housing, the conduit adapted to communicate with the motor, said housing having a second conduit opening to another horizontal surface of said housing, the second conduit adapted to deliver air into the interior of said housing;   an air filter received in the interior of said housing and positioned between the first and second conduits, said air filter adapted to filter air from said second conduit as the air is drawn through said air filter by the motor; and   a flat body removably received in the interior of said housing, said flat body interposed between said air filter and the horizontal surface of said housing and overlying the opening of the first conduit so as to block the debris or dust from entering the motor, said flat body being formed of a nonporous material without openings formed therein.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle integrated with or affixed to said flat body, said handle extending outwardly of said housing, said handle having a size and shape adapted to be grasped by a human hand.   
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said flat body and said handle are integrally formed together in a one-piece construction. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said flat body and said handle are formed of a nonporous polypropylene material. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of said flat body is approximately one-sixteenth inch. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of said flat body and said handle has a top surface and a bottom surface, each of the top surface and the bottom surface being planar. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said air filter is formed of an air-transmissive open-cell polymeric material, said air filter being of a generally rectangular configuration, said air filter having a top and a bottom and a front and a back and a pair of sides, said air filter having a plurality of cuts extending entirely through a thickness thereof from the top to the bottom, the plurality of cuts defining a plurality of cubical members frangible connected together such that each of the plurality of cubical members is separable by hand from the remainder of said air filter such that an individual cubical member of the plurality of cubical members is removable along both of a portion of a length and a portion of a width of said air filter. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of cubical members are connected together by a segment of the non-transmissive open-cell polymeric material. 
     
     
         9 . A method of installing and removing an air filter from an air filter housing, the air filter housing having a first opening to a first conduit leading to a motor and a second opening to a second conduit that passes air into the air filter housing, the method comprising:
 inserting a flat planar body horizontally into the air filter housing so as to be interposed between the air filter and the first opening so that the air filter resides on the flat planar body, the flat planar body being non-porous with no openings therein;   sliding the flat planar body and the air filter horizontally outwardly of the air filter housing;   separating the air filter from the flat planar body after the step of sliding the flat planar body and the air filter outwardly of the air filter housing;   removing dust or debris from the separated air filter; and   installing the air filter or a new air filter back into the air filter housing.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of installing comprises:
 inserting the flat planar body into the air filter housing such that the flat planar body resides against a horizontal surface of the air filter housing;   installing the air filter or the new air filter onto a surface of the flat planar body within the air filter housing; and   removing the flat planar body from the air filter in the air filter housing.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 forming the flat planar body so as to have a handle at one end thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of inserting the flat planar body comprises:
 grasping the handle of the flat planar body;   moving the flat planar body toward the air filter housing; and   inserting the flat planar body into the air filter housing such that the handle extends horizontally outwardly of the air filter housing.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of sliding comprises:
 grasping at least a portion of the handle extending outwardly of the housing; and   pulling on the handle so as to slide the flat planar body of the air filter outwardly of the housing.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 applying an electrostatic charge to the flat planar body.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 forming the flat planar body of a polypropylene material having a thickness of approximately one-sixteenth inch.